Research Associate Degree Apprenticeship - Accord...

Kickstart your career in science and technology with this fantastic Degree Level Apprenticeship opportunity. From day one, you’ll be hands-on in biological product development, gaining real lab experience, not just theory. Working in a fast-paced biopharma environment, you’ll carry out diverse process development experiments, learn cutting-edge methods, and grow under expert technical supervision.

Qualification Requirements

• 5 GCSEs at grades C/4 or above (or equivalent) including Mathematics and English, plus ;

• Will have A-Levels equalling 80 UCAS points, including Biology at grade C or above plus an additional Science or Mathematics, OR
• Equivalent Level 3 qualifications (e.g., BTEC) will also be considered (with a minimum requirement of 80 UCAS points), OR
• a Level 3 Laboratory Technical Apprenticeship in a relevant science discipline

Salary - £17,000 per annum
Salary will rise in line with national minimum wage rates. Apprentices could be eligible for further annual wage increments, subject to company budgets and satisfactory completion of goals.

• Holiday Allowance - 25 Days Holiday Allowance, plus Bank Holidays
• Pension - Employee 5%, Employer 3%
• Paid sick leave
• Eyecare
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Onsite parking

Location - 319 Pinner Road, Harrow, HA1 4HF.

Working Hours
37.5 hours per week: 9.00am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday, with 1-hour unpaid daily lunch break

Duration - 60 months

Start Date - ASAP October 2025

Interview Date - TBC

Closing Date for Applications - 9th December, please note this position may close early due to a high number of applicants.

To Apply
To apply, please click the Apply Now button and complete the form. If you are having difficulty in completing this, please contact recruitment on [email protected] for assistance

Next Steps

Successful candidates will be progressed to a one way video interview, invites will be sent via email.

The video interview will be reviewed by the Hiring Manager along with your application form to decide who is brought through to the final interview.

Job Description

Cogent Skills is working with Accord Healthcare Ltd to recruit three Degree Level Research Associate Apprentices for its Accord Biopharma London (ABL) lab in Harrow. The successful candidates will be employed by Cogent Skills Services but will undertake all on-job learning with Accord Healthcare.

This is your chance to join a world-leading biopharma company as a Degree Level Apprentice, working hands-on with therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies that are transforming patient lives.

The ABL lab is built as a centre of excellence for Research and Development activities, aiming for biosimilar process development and novel biologics development for both human and veterinary use. Various functions in ABL include Upstream Process Development (UPD), Downstream Process Development (DSP), Analytical Development Lab (ADL), Bioanalytical Development Lab (BDL) and Drug Product Development (DPD or Formulation).

From day one, you’ll be based in a state-of-the-art laboratory, learning directly from experienced scientists and contributing to real-world drug development projects. You’ll gain a broad foundation in biopharma science while specialising in one of three exciting pathways:

Upstream Process Development

If you’re fascinated by how medicines are made, this pathway will put you at the heart of biopharmaceutical production. You’ll grow and optimise cell cultures, operate bioreactors, and test process conditions to maximise yield and quality. Your work will ensure that life-changing medicines can be manufactured reliably and at scale.

Downstream Process Development

If you’re fascinated by how medicines are made, this path will provide you opportunity to learn and execute the protein / antibody purification. Downstream processing refers to the purification and separation of the target product following the upstream process. This phase utilizes advanced high-throughput capabilities that allow for the development of multiple stages of chromatography and non-chromatography unit operations. These processes employ cutting-edge techniques for protein separation and purification.

The available role is located within the Upstream Process Development (UPD) team..

Key responsibilities:

• Conduct process development activities like cell culture process, downstream or analytical function related
• Prepare and document media, feeds, buffers, and supplements accurately and in a timely manner.
• Monitor experiment performance by regularly recording parameters responding to deviations or unexpected trends.
• Set up, operate, clean, and maintain equipment & analytical tools
• Adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs), good documentation practices (GDP), and good laboratory practices (GLP).
• Follow and promote all EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) procedures and safety guidelines in the lab.
• Ensure proper handling and storage of chemicals, biological materials, and lab waste and support in preparing risk assessments and COSHH.
• Take personal ownership of assigned tasks and ensure timely, high-quality execution with minimal supervision.
• Work collaboratively with peers across functions to support overall project timelines.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within the lab, including equipment maintenance, process improvements

Candidate Requirements

Skills / Personal qualities

• Ability to work as part of a team
• Energetic individual who has a high level of personal pride in their work
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent organisational and administration skills – uses time efficiently and effectively, ability to work accurately to required deadlines
• Good working knowledge of MS Office packages and be able to apply in a lab environment
• Have the capability to produce reliable, accurate data for all work carried out in the lab
• Be able to analyse and evaluate results / data obtained from work carried out
• Adopts a logical approach to problem solving
• Perseveres to find ways through challenges or barriers
• Strong desire to learn, with a positive attitude and resilient to change
• Aptitude and passion for science

Training To Be Delivered

Qualification to be delivered: BSc (Hons) in Applied Bioscience

Apprenticeship Standard: Level 6 Laboratory Scientist

Training Provider: University of Kent

Delivery model: Blended learning through a mixture of online and face to face learning. Much of the programme is centred around work-based learning and projects, which means as an apprentice, you will be adding value to your organisation as you work through your Bachelor’s degree. There are also two residential summer schools in years 1 and 2 to complete the Basic and Advanced Laboratory/Industry Skills modules. These will take place at the university’s Canterbury campus.

Future Prospects

This role is part of our talent planning for the future and, for the right people, we are looking to continue to develop the Apprentices upon successful completion of the Apprenticeship.

Our business is growing, so there may be the opportunity to gain permanent employment in the team, subject to performance, successful completion of the Apprenticeship, and a role being available.

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, individuals are eligible to apply for Registered Scientist (RSci) status through a shortened application route.

Things To Be Considered

Cogent Skills is managing the recruitment process in partnership with Accord Healthcare Ltd. To ensure fairness and equality of opportunity all applications must be made by completing the application on the Cogent Skills Apprenticeship portal.

The successful candidate will be employed by Cogent Skills Services but will undertake all on-job learning with Accord Healthcare Ltd. at its ABL lab in Harrow.

Please ensure that you currently live within, or can relocate to, a commutable distance of the site and that are able/willing to travel to Canterbury for the residential summer schools.

Due to the part-time and independent nature of the study, you must be able to demonstrate a responsible and mature attitude to your study and work-based activities. Study time will form part of your working week.

About Accord Healthcare Ltd

Accord Healthcare is a global pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and distributes generic, biosimilar and added-value medicines in over 85 countries worldwide, helping to improve access for patients to essential pharmaceutical care at the point of need.

Accord's portfolio spans across critical therapeutic fields such as oncology, cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, diabetes, pain management and gastroenterology

As one of the fastest growing pharmaceutical companies in the world, we're always looking for the best and brightest technical minds and forward-thinking business professionals to join our dynamic departments and make a difference.

Our employees foster our enduring reputation for quality and integrity, supporting our primary goal of helping to ensure patients receive the medicines they need, when they need them, with patient well-being at the centre of everything we do.

We believe in creating a culture that ‘achieves’. To support this, we are looking to build an inclusive company that attracts and retains key talent by investing in training and development, tailored to an individual’s needs.

At Accord, it is recognised that developing the skills and capabilities of employees is essential to achieving organisation goals and every employee receives individual professional development support.

Do you want to join a company that approaches business differently; a company that never settles for the established way of doing things?